Nato acts to freeze out Russia

Tuesday, 19 August 2008 12:00 AM

Foreign secretary David Miliband says Nato will provide "practical and political support" to Georgia as the defence alliance turns its back on Russia.

Nato has said there can be no "business as usual" with Moscow so long as Russia keeps its forces within Georgian territory.

That conclusion followed a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels to discuss the situation. Russia was due to begin its pullout of troops in Georgia proper yesterday, but reports on the ground claim tanks and soldiers remain in place around South Ossetia.

Mr Miliband said there was unity among his peers that Russia should abide by the ceasefire and said Britain would be supporting Georgia "starting on the road to Nato membership".

"The use of force is not a basis to redraw the map of countries around Russia," he added.

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice called for a "neutral peacekeeping force in Georgia. because Russia is clearly party to this conflict.

"['Russian peacekeepers'] have engaged in wanton destruction and this has isolated Russia; the US has not isolated Russia," she said.

Nato secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said after today's meeting in Brussels on the issue that there are no plans for the Nato-Russia council to meet while Russian forces continue to occupy a "large part" of Georgia.

"There can be no business as usual with Russia under the present circumstances," he said.

"The future of our relations will depend on the concrete actions Russia will take to honour the words of [Russian president Dmitry] Medvedev to abide by the peace plan - which is not happening at the moment.

"It is now in the hands of Russia to take action. Russia should adhere to the six-point plan and Russians should go back to their positions on August 6th.

"I should add we will certainly not have the intention to close all doors in our communication with Russia. The future will depend on concrete actions on the Russian side."

While shunning cooperation with Russia on the one hand Nato has opted to strengthen its links with Georgia on the other. Most importantly, Mr de Hoop Scheffer said, a Nato-Georgia commission is being set up "which can be seen as the same kind of consultation mechanism we have with our other partner Ukraine".

The alliance will also attempt to prop up Georgia's ability to resist further attacks. The state of the Georgian armed forces will be assessed, Nato will help re-establish Georgia's air traffic system and efforts will be made to help Tbilisi improve its cyberdefence capability.

And Nato's special representative is being dispatched to Tbilisi, while 15 civil emergency planning experts are being sent to assist the Georgian government.

"Georgia is a sovereign country with a democratically elected government. At the moment that principle is not accepted by some," Mr de Hoop Scheffer added.

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said Nato would not allow Russia to achieve its "strategic objective" of undermining democracy in Georgia.

She said: "There was very strong language around the table of the need for Russia to honour the ceasefire commitment that its president has undertaken.

"It is time for the Russian president to keep his word - to withdraw Russian forces from Georgia back to the August 6th/7th status quo ante."

Georgian shelling of the breakaway province earlier this month sparked a ten-day conflict that saw the Russian army advance on Tbilisi and both sides accuse the other of genocide.

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